Wallboard fastener



E. C. F ABER WALLBOARD FASTENER April 28, 194-2 Filed Oct. ,29, 1940 Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES TENT QFICE WALLBOARD FASTENER Elwood C. Faber, Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pa., assignor to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania 6 Claims.

This invention relates to wallboard fasteners and, more particularly, to wallboard fasteners designed to securely hold wallboards, panels, planks, tiles or the like to furring strips or other 'wall supporting framework, which are easily and quickly placed in position and which, when secured in the assembly, are invisible so as to maintain the decorative appearance of the installation. The fastener herein described has been specifically shaped so as to fit into a bevellap joint between adjacent boards, panels, planks, tiles and the like.

A wallboard fastener heretofore used for this purpose is disclosed in Patent 2,174,145, issued September 26, 1939, to Samuel H. Tummins. This fastener is satisfactory in service and efficiently performs its function of maintaining 'Wallboards in place in a finished installation.

Its chief disadvantage resides in the inability to quickly and easily secure it in the assembly to hold the wallboard in place. Amplifying this statement, a workman, using these fasteners to hold a wallboard to wall supporting framework, must simultaneously hold the wallboard in position, hold the fastener in proper position securing the wallboard to the supporting framework, hold a nail or other fastening means in position to be driven into the supporting framework, and drive the fastening means into the wallboard in position in l the assembly. The diificulties involved in a single workman simultaneously performing these various functions is readily appreciated; the installation of wallboards by means of such fasteners is arduous and consumes considerable time thus considerably increasing the cost of the assembly. As a result, the fasteners have not entered into the extensive use which their efiiciency in holding wallboards in place merits.

The chief object of my invention is to provide an improved wallboard fastener of this general type in which the difficulties and disadvantages involved in its securement in a wallboard assembly are obviated. An object of my invention is to provide a wallboard fastener adapted to be held in frictional engagement with a wallboard while it is being secured in the assembly. A fur ther object is to provide a wallboard fastener which may be cheaply and easily produced, easily and quickly disposed in an assembly, and which properly and effectively holds a wallboard in position. A still further object is to provide a building construction embodying my improved form of wallboard fastener.

This invention relates to a wallboard fastener comprising a base having an'opening therein adapted to receive means to secure the fastener to a supporting surface, a flange integral with said base extending outwardly therefrom, said flange being adapted to be interposed between the supporting surface and a supported wallboard, a clamp portion integral with said base adapted to overlie and clamp a portion of an adjacent marginal edge of the wallboard to the supporting surface, said flange in combination with said clamp portion constituting a retaining portion into which the marginal edge of the wallboard extends to frictionally secure the fastener to the wallboard, and a tang projecting from the clamp portion adapted to penetrate into the adjacent marginal edge of a second wallboard.

The attached drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention in which Figure l is a fragmentary view in elevation illustrating thefastener of my invention in use;

Figure 2 is a sectional view, slightly exaggerated, showing my fastener in use;

Figure 3 is anisometric view of the fastener shown in use in Figures 1 and 2; and

Figures 4 and 5 are isometric views of modified forms of fasteners.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a wallboard fastener 2 comprising a base 3 having an opening 4 therein adapted to receive a nail or other fastening means-to secure the fastener 2 to furring strips 5 mounted on studdings 6. Extending outwardly from the base 3 is a flange l disposed in the same plane as the base 3 which is adapted to be interposed between the furring strip 5 and a supported wallboard 8 in engagement with the wallboard as shown in Figure 2. An abutment portion 9 is provided at one side of the base 3 adjacent the flange l and extends at approximately right angles to the base 3. The abutment 9 is adapted to abut against the adjacent marginal edge of the wallboard 8. A clamp portion l0 extends diagonally from the abutment 9 and is adapted to clamp and securely hold the adjacent marginal edge of the wallboard 8 in position in the assembly. The flange 1 in combination with the abutment 9 and the clamp portion H! provides a retaining portion into which the adjacent marginal edge of the wallboard 8 extends to frictionally secure the fastener thereto. In other words, the flange I in combination with the clamp portion l9 and the abutment 9 contitutes or forms a bite into which the adjacent marginal edge of the wallboard 8 extends and which may be compressed to some extent therein, to frictionally retain the fastener in engagement with the wallboard. A tang II projects outwardly from the clamp portion I0 and overlies the base 3; the tang H is adapted to penetrate into the adjacent marginal edge of a secured wallboard l2. Preferably, the tang II is disposed at the opposite side of the fastener 2 from the side at which the flan e 1 extends, as shown in Figure 3.

In application, the flange 1 of the fastener 2 is pushed under the wallboard 8 thus interposing it between the wallboard 8 and the furring strip 5 with the abutment 10 in close abutting relation with the adjacent margin l3 of the wallboard 8 and with the clamp portion In fitting closely against the adjacent side of the groove [4 in the wallboard 8. The adjacent marginal edge of the wallboard 8 is thus wedged and perhaps compressed to some slight extent in the retaining portion or bite formed by the flange l, the abutment 9 and the clamp portion l8, frictionally holding or securing the fastener 2 to the wallboard 8'. A nail or similar fastening means is then placed in the opening 4 in the base 3 and is driven into the furring strip 5 thus clamping the board 8 firmly against the furring strip 5. The adjacent wallboard I2 is then inserted in place with its tongue l5 fitting closely into the groove M of the wallboard 8. When so disposed, the tang ll penetrates into the readily penetrable material of the board l2 (see Figure 2) so as to hold such penetrated marginal edge of the board I2 securely in place in the assembly. One margin of each wallboard is clamped against the furring strip 5 by the clamp portion I 0 while its opposite margin is secured in 5 place by the tang of the adjacent fastener. Thus each board is securely held in place in the assembly while the fasteners so securing the board are completely concealed from view and do not detract from the decorative appearance In Figure 4, I have illustrated a modified form of my invention in which a plurality of tangs ll are provided extending in the same direction in order to more positively position the adjacent wallboard I 2 in the assembly. In Figure 5, I

have shown a fastener 2 provided with flanges I on each side thereof thus forming retaining porin the mechanical erection of wallboard assemblies are greatly reduced.

The fastener is inexpensive and highly eflicient in service. A wallboard assembly is provided by my invention in which the boards comprising the assembly are securely held in proper position without detracting from the decorative appearance of the finished installation.

While I have described and illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood my invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A wallboard fastener comprising a base having an opening therein adapted to receive means to secure the fastener to a supporting surface, a flange integral with said base extending outwardly therefrom, said flange being adapted to be interposed between the supporting surface and a supported wallboard, a clamp portion integral with said base adapted to overlie and clamp a portion of an adjacent marginal edge of the wallboard to the supporting surface, said flange in combination with said clamp portion constituting a retaining portion into which the marginal edge of the wallboard extends to frictionally secure the fastener to the wallboard, and a tang projecting from the clamp portion adapted to penetrate into the adjacent marginal edge of a second wallboard.

2. A wallboard fastener according to claim 1, in which a plurality of tangs project from the clamp portion in a direction opposite the direction of said flange.

3. A wallboard fastener comprising a base having an opening therein adapted to receive means to secure the fastener to a supporting surface, flanges integral with said base extending outwardly from opposite sides of said base in substantially the same plane as the base, said flanges being adapted to be interposed between the supporting surface and a supported wallboard, a clamp portion integral with said base adapted to overlie and clamp a portion of an adjacent marginal edge of the wallboard to the supporting surface, said clamp portion being disposed between said flanges and being adapted in combination therewith to form retaining portions at opposite sides of the fastener into which the marginal edge of the wallboard extends to frictionally secure the fastener to the wallboard, and a tang projecting from the clamp portion adapted to penetrate into the adjacent marginal edge of a second wallboard.

4. A wallboard fastener comprising a base having an opening therein adapted to receive a nail to secure the fastener to a supporting surface, a flange integral with said base extending outwardly therefrom and being adapted to be interposed between the supporting surface and a supported wallboard in engagement with the wallboard, an abutment at one side of said base at approximately right angles thereto against which the marginal portion of the wallboard may abut, a clamp portion extending diagonally from said abutment adapted to clamp against and securely hold said adjacent marginal portion in position, said flange in combination with said abutment and said clamp portion forming a bite into which the marginal edge of the wallboard extends to frictionally secure the fastener to the wallboard,

and a tang projecting from said clamp portion adapted to'penetrate into the adjacent marginal edge of a second wallboard.

5. In a building construction, in combination with a supporting element and a plurality of wall covering elements having interlocking side edges, a fastening member comprising a base attached to said supporting element and disposed between said supporting element and a wall covering element, a flange integral with said base extending outwardly therefrom and disposed between said supporting element and a second wall covering element, a clamp portion integral with said base engaging the interlocking side edge of said second wall covering element and clamping it to said supporting element, said flange in combination with said clamp portion constituting a retaining portion into which the marginal edge of the wallboard extends to frictionally retain the fastener to the wallboard prior to the attachment of the base to the supporting element, and a tang projecting from said clamp portion and penetrating into the edge of said first mentioned wall covering element.

6. In a building construction, in combination with a supporting element and a plurality of wallboards having interlocking side edges, a fastening member comprising a base attached to said supporting element and disposed between said supporting element and a wallboard, a flange integral with said base extending outwardly therefrom and disposed between said supporting element and a second wallboard, an abutment at one side of said base at approximately right angles thereto against which the marginal portion of the second wallboard abuts, a clamp portion extending diagonally from said abutment clamping and holding the marginal portion of the second wallboard against the supporting element, said flange in combination with the abutment and the clamp portion forming a retaining portion into which the marginal portion of the second wallboard extends to frictionally retain the fastener to the wallboard prior to the attachment of the base to the supporting element, and a tang projecting from said clamp portion and penetrating into the edge of said first wallboard.

ELWOOD C. FABER. 

